Let's revisit the train wreck that was the 1989 Academy Awards

The actress who played Snow White quoted Rob Lowe as saying to her when they first went to Allan Carr's home "Never trust a man in a caftan."

^^Good advice!

It was Lucy's last public appearance. She and Bob Hope introduced the stars of tomorrow.

She died a month later in April 1989.

I'd rather watch Miss Ann-Margret's Oscar opening. It's so...so...

It was fabulous!

Imagine having to sit through the Oscars in person. Must be absolute torture.

CHanging the famous phrase "And the winner is..." to "And the Oscar goes to..." was stupid. It's a competition with a winner.

Another article

Did any of the stars of tomorrow actually become stars? My recollection is that they were mostly nepotistic oddments of LA, the equivalents of today's Willow Smith or Rumer Willis, and quickly disappeared from the public eye.

Most of them never became stars and quickly disappeared.

Ricki Lake did, briefly.

Were any of the stars of tomorrow also Miss or Mr. Golden Globes?

The "Stars of Tomorrow" danced around the Golden Oscar Idol and sang about wanting to win an Oscar statuette someday. As of 2020, none of them have.

I tried to watch the clip at the link, but when Snow White started warbling my cat who'd been sleeping next to me woke up, turned around and gave me a death glare. I turned it down and asked if that was better. Death glare. I turned it off and she turned around and went back to sleep.

The Stars of Tomorrow:

Blair Underwood

Holly Robinson Peete

Joely Fisher

Keith Coogan

Patrick O'Neal Jr.

Tyrone Power Jr.

Carrie Hamilton

Ricki Lake

Tricia Leigh Fisher

Corey Feldman

Patrick Dempsey

Corey Parker

Chad Lowe

Tracy Nelson

D.A. Pawley

Christian Slater

Savion Glover

Melora Hardin

Matt Lattanzi

And Page Hannah

How...underwhelming, r15.

Does Rob Lowe come on here and find things to post about himself every two weeks?

Charmless Rob Lowe with his kabuki tranny face (later a face like an old man's ballsack skin.)

The event usually manages to snag the most repulsive fucking hosts:

Billy Crystal (x9 FFS) Seth MscFarlane. Neil Patrick Harris. Ellen DeGeneres. Anne Hathaway & James Franco.

At least they didn't have Beyonce sing all the songs.

Ching chong ching chong ching ching ching

Ricki Lake said in a podcast interview that Lucille Ball was in a particularly nasty mood that night.

Ricki said they were all gathered in a sort of cardboard Green Room area back stage.

Lucy was chain-smoking and Ricki went over to her to tell her how much Lucy meant to her.

Ricki wouldn't repeat what Lucy said (she said it was out of respect for Lucy,) but Ricki summed it up by saying, "Lucy clearly didn't want to be there"

Which was the year the Oscars had this blooper: two animated characters were superimposed over two adjacent empty seats, then a seat filler suddenly and unknowingly sat down in one of the two seats, smiling away - thus it looked like the animated character was sitting in her lap? I remember this happening on live TV, but I've never been able to find a clip of it.

"Get your fat fucking gunt away from me, Hairspray."

I thought Lucy quit smoking a few years before she died, because her doctors were screaming at her to stop.

"JHC, you're a bigger fatter loser than the last Ricky who fucked me over!"

Lucy raped me.

Allan Carr wanted Lorna Luft to be Snow White. Lorna turned him down, because she thought her career was too big at the time to be reduced to playing Snow White at the oscars. Allan was furious and told Lorna that he made her and she was ungrateful. They never spoke again. Michael Musto said at the time that Lorna's decision was the best career move a celebrity ever made.

The show was basically a collection of Allan Carr's friends minus Ann Margret. Olivia Newton John and Matt Lattanzi (A bizarre choice for Star of Tomorrow given that he had been acting in big screen pics for almost a decade at that point) Jaqueline Bisset, who got something like twenty five close ups during the ceremony, Ali MacGraw.

The number was actually supposed to be even longer, but they cut out a dance scene involving Mayim Bialik and the Mills Brothers.

Bette Midler was supposed to play Lily's part but backed out after she got snubbed for a Best Actress nomination for Beaches.

This came close to being Doris Day's big swan song from public view. She was scheduled to present with Patrick Swayze, but pulled out the day before when she tripped over a sprinkler on her lawn and hurt her ankle.

The opening number was just horrible, and made absolutely no sense. Really just random shit that Carr threw against the wall to see what would stick with no cohesion. Why would you have Snow White go up to the nominees like that when they’re already under enough stress? The presenter theme was inspired with co stars, companions and compadres, and would’ve been great with some major A listers showing up for it, but Carr couldn’t get enough of them. Plus even that wasn’t a continued theme of the evening with Dennis Quaid and Michelle Pfeiffer co presenting and they had no connection to each other. Carr invited Doris Day, but she had an accident and skipped it.

[quote] told Lorna that he made her

No I made her, and my little, sweet retard too.

[quote]Bette Midler was supposed to play Lily's part but backed out after she got snubbed for a Best Actress nomination for Beaches.

Bette was really delusional enough to think she'd get nominated for Beaches?

No, Bette was angry that Otto Titsling wasn't nominated for Best Song.

[quote]Lucy raped me.

I was molested!

[quote]Most of them never became stars and quickly disappeared.

Fuck you R10. The Rocketeer was HUGE in Thailand.

Dammit.

22-year-old.........

IIRC Carr didn't even bother to clear the use of the Snow White character in this debacle

On top of all the other blow back, the following day Carr got served with a Cease & Desist letter from Disney

Bruce Vilanch talks about the show...

Whet Corey Parker? I used to have the hots for him.

The point of the Snow White character was taken from Beach Blanket Babylon, the long-running San Francisco show where Snow White, seeking Prince Charming, runs into lots of pop culture figures, giving actors the chance to caricature a shifting cast of characters. This point was completely lost at the Oscars, though, where it makes little sense.

Well, it wasn't boring. So there's that! And Christian Slater became a star. For a red hot moment.

The evening of the show Allan Carr believed his Academy Awards production had been a success

it took days for his to accept the enormity of this failure

then Carr quietly crawled out of LA in his caftan and lived a reclusive life (wishing he had a DL community to join)

[quote] wishing he had a DL community to join

What if he started DL? He died in 1999. It's possible!

[quote]1989's 32-year-old starlet Melora Hardin

Are you insane?

I was detective Adrian Monk's dead wife Trudy!

I was Jan for several seasons on The Office!

Tiffany from General Hospital was in the audience!

That future stars number wasn't bad, at least some of them had talent performing live.

So who were the real "Stars of Tomorrow" in 1989? Julia Roberts would hit it big with Pretty Woman the following year. George Clooney and Brad Pitt were still slogging away on television guest spots. Sandra Bullock also had a few tv credits. Leo Dicaprio was still unknown. Nicole Kidman was still in Australia.

What's weird is how many of the kids chosen as "stars of tomorrow" were children or related to other stars. Keith Coogan (he was cute), Joely Fisher, Carrie Hamilton, Tyrone Power Jr, Patrick O'Neal Jr, Tracy Nelson, Chad Lowe....

R46 Johnny Depp was about to break out in Cry Baby and Edward Scissorhands in 1990, he had been on 21 Jump Street for several years. Brad Pitt guested on 21 Jump Street in the late 80s and did a lot of TV in 1989 and '90, was about to do Thelma And Louise, his breakout role, in 1991.

D.A. Pawley?

Keanu Reeves was already making a name for himself—about to get a high profile with Bill & Ted and Parenthood in 1989, but having already appeared in minor roles in such things as Youngblood (with Rob Lowe!) and more prominently in River's Edge. But he was nowhere to be found in Alan Carr's vision of the Stars of Tomorrow.

1989? I don't even remember this year's.

This year's what, R51?

Here's the documentary about the shitshow. OP probably stole this thread idea from the recent Alan Carr thread.

R27 made me laugh so hard and unexpectedly that I choked on my own saliva.

Allan Carr received a phone call the next morning from former POTUS Ronald Reagan congratulating him on the show.

I recall reading that Dorothy Lamour dieted and lost 40 pounds just for her 10 second appearance in that Cocoanut Grove number.

R22, Rob Lowe said that Lucy congratulated him backstage on the opening number and added that she was unaware he could sing so well.

[quote]R28 Allan Carr wanted Lorna Luft to be Snow White.

A 37-year-old Snow White?

Did he see the movie?

Ronald Reagan was already quite senile by then.

This is the year G can barely contain her disappointment and throws her hands up in disgust.

Susan Weaver looks very glum having already lost earlier in the evening.

In the R60 clip Tom Cruise says

[quote]“The five women we honor tonight with nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role have proven to be as resilient as they are talented.”

What the hell does that mean? They all survived house fires in their youth?

From Wikipedia, this description of the Grim Reaper's Round-Up...

[quote]During the main number, before Rob Lowe's entrance, a crooning Merv Griffin introduced a procession of once famous Hollywood stars ranging from Alice Faye to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans to Vincent Price, which seemed more forced than natural as the elders were practically guided across the stage by male dancers (some dressed as chairs and tables).

Rob Lowe is so talented for a straight guy. Oh wait.

R61, it means they were stretched and snapped right back.

Yes r54 r24 post was hilarious.

Bless you all here at DL...you give me some of the only laughs Ive had lately

R61 not too hard to figure out. The resilience part has to do with rolling with punches that comes with being a working actress, especially in Hollywood.

It just seems like kind of an off topic thing to say.

Well, Jodie could certainly lay claim to resilient...

Every last male in that stage had sex with merv

R60, Jodie's ugly dress was obviously not designed by a gay male.

R68 I think the Hinckley thing would qualify Jodie and she paid the price for fame in droves because of that. Griffith probably had the easiest out of that group of actresses because of being Tippis daughter, but she did have to prove herself with Working Girl to break out of the bimbo roles.

That's what I was referring to, r71. Plus, she had done the rare feat of successfully transitioning from child actor to adult star. r70, I clearly remember my dear friend Dan saying at the time, "If you have to hike up your strapless dress, you shouldn't be wearing a strapless dress."

Tom and Jodie. Tom is all like "girl, you look fierce tonight!"

Jodie must be really tiny if Tom's taller than she is.

I have stood near Jodie Foster, R74, and I can confirm that she's much more petite than I, at least, would have expected—I'd thought she was a huskier girl.

[quote]Every last male in that stage had sex with merv

As Merv grew older and more rotund

he came to appreciate the roomy comfort of a good caftan

[quote]The five women we honor tonight with nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role have proven to be as resilient as they are talented.

Maybe he meant how I suffered so much when my great love John Cazale died but then quickly got married six months later to someone else.

Allan Carr was before my time, but he appeared to be batshit crazy.

In 2017 a documentary about Carr's life was released entitled The Fabulous Allan Carr. The director of The Fabulous Allan Carr Jeffrey Schwarz said, "Although it was no secret that Allan Carr was gay, he never formally acknowledged it publicly. The word 'flamboyant' was used to describe him, a code word." (Wikipedia)

Guess that's how it was in those days. I remember being a kid and thinking he was gay.

I talked to Jodie last year at a party for Hotel Artemis(or was it the year before-I no longer have any concept of time). She is very small and I have to say, surprisingly one of the sweetest celebs I've talked to.

R79, That documentary also said Carr's first sexual experience with a man was quite late, some guy he encountered at a beach.

The Allan Carr documentary is free on Amazon Prime. One thing you can say about him is that he had a genuine love and enthusiasm for movies.

R82, He hired Nancy Walker to direct "Can't Stop the Music" even though she had no idea what she was doing.

Yeah, r83, what WAS that about?

[quote][R79], That documentary also said Carr's first sexual experience with a man was quite late, some guy he encountered at a beach.

Captain Ahab.

I read the book on him years ago, which completely went into the whole oscar debacle. He planned it for a year, unlike most producers who only do it for a couple of weeks. It also goes in depth into Can't Stop the Music, and some juicy tidbits on Grease 2.

Nancy and Valerie Perrine hated each other and had to have someone rely communication between them on the CSTM set.

Nancy knew the movie was total shit, but attended the premiere and left a half hour into the movie.

Phylicia Rashad was supposed to be in it, being married to one of the Village People at the time. I can't remember the reason she got dropped, but Sammy Davis wife got the part instead.

Carr was a mini Merv Griffin. He had huge gay parties at his mansion. Every good looking actor in his movies was either from Carr's casting couch or someone whom Carr lusted after but couldn't have.

[quote]R70 Jodie's ugly dress was obviously not designed by a gay male.

It was reportedly bought off the rack, from a department store.

I feel it could have been way worse, however. And I’m gay.

I love Jane & Michael Stern's description of Allan Carr: "Creating the neologism 'glitterfunk' to describe himself, he sashayed forth in a wardrobe of flowing caftans and kimonos, ankle-length mink coats, and vixenish diamond jewelry, his small, round head ringed with curls permed by Vidal Sassoon."

I'm vaguely also remembering a report that he had his teeth wired shut in order to lose weight, but carried around a pair of wire cutters in case of emergency, which eventually transpired over some too tempting dish—but I'm not finding a source for that now.

Interview with Eileen Bowman, who played Snow White.

R1 so Rob Lowe’s a DLer?

R87 she actually bought that monstrosity in Italy. I still think it’s the worst outfit ever worn by a best actress winner. But I forgive Jodie for it. She was re-emerging in Hollywood and still trying to find her style. Plus she was so charming and humble in her backstage interview. Compare this to her SOTL Oscar where she looked incredible, but obnoxious in her acceptance speech and backstage interview thinking a second Oscar and started to believe she could do no wrong.

Thinking a second Oscar made her invincible ^^^.

Two things I thought were good about this embarrassing spectacle. One was a short film, commemorating Hollywood musicals The one quarrel I had with it was that it didn't feature Bob Fosse and Carol Haney in the dancing segment. I also liked saying "The Oscar goes to" instead of "and the winner is." That seemed a lot more fair than saying out of all the nominees one is the "winner" and the rest losers. At rate. the show was a disaster and the opening sequence had become infamous for its stupidity. Did the actress who played Snow White ever work again? I heard it destroyed her career.

Her name is Eileen Bowman and here is an article about her appearance:

Oops, sorry. I didn't notice that had already been posted.

I watched the opening number again and I confess that I enjoyed the part introducing the old stars. Cyd Charisse got in some good dance moves.

People were aghast at the Old Hollywood stars being paraded out because many of them had been out of the public eye for many years and they looked so old and decrepit. They weren't how people remembered them, and it was like "Holy shit! Is that really so-and-so?" It didn't have the intended effect of the audience who was watching being fond of seeing them again because they were like old waxworks.

That is hilarious. R31 that must be why when she lost to Jodie a couple of years later for SOTL Bette looked like she wanted to run over and remove her eyes with her bare fingers. She mustve thought this little dyke has two of my Oscars before the age of 30.

So was the person who was buried in that Snow White outfit Carr himself?

That's very confusing. How did they get the outfit anyway? Two of them, actually, since there were two performers auditioned at the same time for the Snow White part - at least according to Eileen's story. They certainly didn't get it from Disney, since Disney sued the Academy over this. There's something still unexpained about the costume.

Geena Davis had to accept her Oscar right after that number. I always wondered if that's what she meant when she said I can't believe I have to go first.

[quote] Griffith...did have to prove herself with Working Girl to break out of the bimbo roles.

Yet her filmography pre-Working Girl is so much more interesting than anything she did in the years that followed.

Jodie's fake kiss with Julian Sands looks so odd now. I didn't think she was the type to fake it like that. There's an interview when she's a teen and she already is playing with the pronouns and clearly knows she's gay.

I sort of expected more from her.

Bob Mackie made the costume.

r103 it was a different time. Nobody was going to be openly gay back then.

I know r105 but she should have done like she did with her second Oscar and just bring an agent or whoever that old man is.

[quote]Rob Lowe said that Lucy congratulated him backstage on the opening number and added that she was unaware he could sing so well.

When Lucy compliments your singing

you know you're fucked

"Someone keep that sweaty fat girl away from me!"

The site today

Someone should do a "Where are they now?" film of the Stars of Tomorrow" and their current jobs and lived.

Can we make Allan Carr the patron saint of Datalounge?

R107, Who applied her makeup that evening, a mortician?

R107, is that the real story? I remember Rob Lowe describing it more as Lucy acknowledging the number was a mess and encouraging nonetheless. She never complimented his singing.

r111 - And fingering the wig to make sure it's covering the hydraulics.

She held his hand for an hour, according to the article.

R106 Jodie brought her mom in 1989 also. It was the woman she kissed after Julian when her name was announced. I know Jodie’s mom saw it as the completion of her dream for her since she micro managed her career and life. I guess Julian and her were friends since they did that film Siesta together. Jodie faked it for a long time and simply wouldn’t talk about her personal life, but it was the biggest open secret in Hollywood. Stevie Wonder could see she was lez.

[quote]She held his hand for an hour, according to the article.

And begged to be in his Sex Tape while she blew cigarette smoke in his face

"You know, Rob, being with me in a Sex Tape could make people forget all about this. I've got the best makeup and lighting people...and my legs are still pretty damn good, you know."

R115, would that John Hinckley could have seen that, too.

[quote]Someone should do a "Where are they now?" film of the Stars of Tomorrow" and their current jobs and lived.

Oh yeah - that would go about as well as the parade of nearly dead actors

Here's how that would go

Chad Lowe - Old, unemployed, supported by his brother

Melora Hardin - Old, unemployed, fat

Carrie Hamilton - Dead

Joely Fisher - Old, unemployed, fat, angry

etc, etc, etc,

Chad seems to have found work, r118.

And Melora Hardin has been working steadily, with ten credits in the last three years, three of them in recurring roles.

Actually, a number of them did quite well considering the odds in the acting business. Not one of them became a huge breakout star, though.

By all means, Allan

go ahead and plan your "Let's Revisit the 1989 Stars of Tomorrow today"

Reading those IMDB credits will be a real TV wet dream...

P.S. Thanks to Chad and Melora's management reps for weighing in

Working steadily in your chosen profession is working steadily in your profession, r121. Not everybody wants to be a Star...

[quote]Not everybody wants to be a Star...nor should they

No one said they should

What the poster said was - it wouldn't make for good TV

I was merely replying to the Not Exactly "Stars" of Today signature, r123.

[quote]I was merely replying to the Not Exactly "Stars" of Today signature

Yes, you were

And we'll add your footnote to the Program bulletin

[quote]I was merely replying to the Not Exactly "Stars" of Today signature

Yes, you were

And we'll add your footnote to the Program bulletin

My favorite movie that year was Beetlejuice. It didn't get enough love from the Academy.

R127 I think Beetlejuice helped Geena win for AT. As a nominee, the more exposure you get for other films that are hits and well done that you’re in, the better.

Oh for chrissakes, r87. If you're going to go with taffeta, go...with...TAFFETA.

[quote]Actually, a number of them did quite well considering the odds in the acting business.

Of course, the odds in question are those of celebrity children and siblings.

R112, R57 is 100% accurate.

[quote] The Allan Carr documentary is free on Amazon Prime.

Which is far more than it's worth.

The old stars were paraded out like "look who's still alive!"

Rob Lowe was embarrassed about his musical number for years, but he can laugh about it now

1989 was just a strange year. The 80's were holding on for dear life, is the most awkward way.

^*in the most awkward way

R134 / 135 You made that awkward.

Seeing the old Hollywood stars, I can see how Allan Carr may have thought that at least this part of the production number would be endearing.

And the "old stars" turned out to be so old and decrepit it had the opposite effect. People were saying "holy shit, is that really so-and-so? She looks half dead!"

The spectacle was mortifying. Oh well, at least it ended Allan Carr's career.

Cyd Charisse looked pretty damn good, R138.

Buddy Rogers, Mary Pickford’s husband, acquitted himself well, also.

r132 Carr was a prominent producer for quite a awhile and his tacky spectacle of a life is worthy of a documentary. The man was so completely tasteless it was an interesting watch.

[quote]R100 How did they get the outfit anyway? Two of them, actually, since there were two performers auditioned at the same time for the Snow White part - at least according to Eileen's story.

I’m guessing the audition costumes would have been approximations of the final look.... a pair of rented costumes, or something pulled from a studio’s stock. Then the real, more expensive costume was built by Bob Mackie for the selected actress.

It’s like when a performer is screen tested for a role, they’re not wearing what will finally be used; it’s just a nod in that direction.

[quote] Carr was a prominent producer for quite a awhile and his tacky spectacle of a life is worthy of a documentary.

Too bad it got the one it got.

It was a pretty good doc imo. It covered everything and had interviews from people who knew him. There's a lot of unused interview footage on Youtube.

Poor Lucy never had time to release that Sex Tape...

If she'd had a little more time, she could've revitalized her career

And she could've gotten a contract for a sequel to "Mame" the musical

I watched Rob Lowe sing. Didn't see a disaster. You have to have balls to get up in front of all those stars.

It was a disaster. He was tone deaf and tuneless.

[quote]Buddy Rogers, Mary Pickford’s husband, acquitted himself well, also.

Lavender marriage

Chad Lowe was a good actor and cute.

Just finished watching The Fabulous Life of Allan Carr. Highly entertaining. As to the Oscars, the documentary notes that his pairing of presenter couples was well-received. And, has been noted, his call on changing the announcement of the winner has survived. Looking at some of his party guests, I glimpsed model Matt Collins in attendance in a couple of shots. If alive, he'd be in his early 70s. Does anyone have any updates on him?

R40 is it despicable that I thought the moment of Christian Slater swinging in and swashbuckling was kind of cool and sexy? They could have made a bit more of that, cut Corey Feldman or whoever’s time down.

Assume it was a reference to ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES?

^^ah, wait, but it couldn’t have related to ROBIN HOOD, because that didn’t come out until ‘91, right? So what was that all about..🤔

I recall a Debbie Allen choreographed musical number at the Oscars featuring Jasmine Guy that was similarly awful. I think it was when JG was on ADW...so early 90s? I looked but couldn’t find any video footage .

The worst musical number was Ann Reinking doing Against All Odds. It destroyed her Hollywood career.

A close second was that opening number that Teri Garr did. It was something that even SNL couldn't parody.

Ann Reinking. This is just embarrassing.

Ann Reinking. This is just embarrassing.

OOOF

"Phylicia Rashad was supposed to be in it, being married to one of the Village People at the time. I can't remember the reason she got dropped, but Sammy Davis wife got the part instead."

Phylicia was married to the original lead singer of the Village People, Victor Willis. He quit the group just before filming started so that's probably why they dropped her.

I loved it when the Oscars would have someone totally inappropriate to sing a Best Song number when the original artist wasn't available, for whatever reasons. Lots of "what the FUCK?" moments came out of that.

R160, On a 1970s Academy Awards, Dyan Cannon sang one of the nominated songs, but there were audio issues.

[quote]^^ah, wait, but it couldn’t have related to ROBIN HOOD, because that didn’t come out until ‘91, right? So what was that all about..

Fuck you R152

Oscar’s musical numbers starting around 5:35.

[quote]^^ah, wait, but it couldn’t have related to ROBIN HOOD, because that didn’t come out until ‘91, right? So what was that all about..

Because swashbuckling movie roles were invented in 1991?

[quote]I loved it when the Oscars would have someone totally inappropriate to sing a Best Song number when the original artist wasn't available, for whatever reasons. Lots of "what the FUCK?" moments came out of that.

At one time, they never (or rarely) had the original artist perform the best song at the Oscars. Best song used to be a song from a musical, or from a musical sequence in a non-musical. Not a "soundtrack" song, because songs weren't used as background music. So a pop star was rarely associated with a song, like they are now.

Even as a child, I knew some of the Debbie Allen choreographed routines for the Oscars were just a time-filler. No one was watching for those routines, but they showed up every year in the mid-80s. It's not necessarily that they were bad, but this was a movie awards show, not a dance recital.

Was Debbie some affirmative action hire for Oscars being so white? Weren’t there gay choreographers that could have been hired, with people like Bruce and Allan one would assume the gays would be central in the back stage shenanigans?

I wanted to do an interpretive dance about the Dingo stealing my baby this year but Debbie Allen wouldn't let me.

R167 Gil Cates who produced many of the Oscar shows starting in 1990 loved Allen. Even though her dance routines were panned year after year. When Cates stopped producing, Allen was out.

Debbie Allen's dance routines were always ridiculed.

Did Bette really think she would be nominated for Beaches?

She apparently did. Beaches was a camp joke even at the time it was released.

Beaches and Steel Magnolias are today's Term of Endearment. Young girls love to cry but don't rake them seriously I hope.

I sat through Beaches once, many years ago. Barbara Hershey wasn't bad, but Bette was overacting all over the place and her musical numbers in the "off-Broadway play" were so hambone and corny I felt embarrassed for her.

Bette Midler was also severely pissed off that she wasn't Oscar nominated for "For the Boys", especially after winning a Golden Globe for it.

Bette was nominated for FTB. I still remember the awful clip they used of her performance in which she was under 15 lbs of old age makeup.

She’s one the verge of tears when winning the globe. I think the public rejecting it and the indifferent response the critics had for the film really stung her. I can’t imagine Midler having any illusions about winning the Oscar when Jodie Foster was so out in front that year.

[quote]She apparently did. Beaches was a camp joke even at the time it was released.

Actually, I've always felt, had they ended the movie with the two women watching the little girl on the shore it would have had more impact.

Then have her sing that damn song over the credits.

[quote]Bette was nominated for FTB. I still remember the awful clip they used of her performance in which she was under 15 lbs of old age makeup.

Well I guess you just want her running around dialling 911 or being kidnapped by Kmart.

I always hear about how bad this Oscars was.... I don't remember it although I likely saw some of it.

Does anyone know if there are any videos of news reports or entertainment shows reviewing or even panning the broadcast, or is it just a given that is was bad based on word of mouth? Was Nicky Finke around then? If so, seems like she would have eviscerated it. Or how about Rex Reed?

I'd be interested in seeing reviews on the show but haven't seen anything like that.

R180 There are a few clips at the end of the Allan Carr documentary, I watched it last night.

Mayim remembers Beaches...

The beginning and the crappy writing the presenters had to endure were the worst parts. Other than that, it was your usual Oscars. No better no worse.

Trotting out the old stars was nothing new - there had been numerous TV specials that had done this since the late 70's. There were several versions of Night of 100 Stars that brought out stars of yesterday and no one was repulsed that they didn't look like they did in their heyday. Look at the number of them that guest starred on The Love Boat long before the '89 Academy Awards. Here is a tribute to women from the silent screen from the 1985 Night of 100 Stars. All the women are ancient - Laura LaPlante is literally wheeled out - and they all look great.

But it was the first time the Oscars did it, which made people notice. It was a worldwide audience of 1 billion people.

Wrong R185 They did it for the 1978 Oscars (its 50th anniversary).

Starts at 6:40 =

Good ol' Laura La Plante!

They were even more decrepit by '89.

In that Youtube interview Bruce Vilanch, who was a writer that year, said the old stars were shocking to the public.

Bruce should talk. It's always a shock to be confronted with that face and body.

R191 Why doesn't BV change his hairstyle into something less Muppety?

R192, At this point, his hair has become part of his brand.

The Three Stooges maintained their eccentric hairstyles for decades for the same reason.

Who D.A. Pawley?

R193 his brand is as a comedy writer.

He would get more work with an updated look.

[quote] his brand is as the worst comedy writer who ever lived.

Fixed that for you.

Rob Lowe is so perfect. I guess DL is jealous. Rob Lowe now sleeps with Chris Pratt. So u know.

R197 & you know this how?

Rob Lowe's twink sons are fuckable.

Jodie Foster once gave an interesting interview about her character in The Accused. She said something like "she was mad at her boyfriend, she put a good outfit on and she went out and she felt good about herself. She couldn't have known. She couldn't have known she was gonna punished. That she was gonna be punished for that kind of pride". Misguided as might have been to some. It made me think she really intellectualized the character and thought about her. I still think Meryl in A Cry In The Dark was the superior performance among the nominees. But I do think Jodie was rewarded for more than just child actor done good. She played a real character in physically and emotionally challenging performance. No one can deny that rape scene is excruciating and uncomfortable to watch.

R200 It made me think she really intellectualized the character and thought about her.

What do you think actors usually do?

R201. You would think right?? You do realize most actors don't have a fucking clue what to really do with a character? Ever met one? It's more rare to hear one talk about character motivation or history.